Santa Claus Macarons are the ultimate festive treat I love to make during the holiday season. These delightful macarons are filled with a cozy sugar cookie buttercream and topped with adorable royal icing designs to resemble Santa’s signature belt and buckle. They’re sweet, whimsical, and perfect for holiday cookie boxes, dessert tables, or edible gifts.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
I love how playful and charming these macarons look—they truly bring the magic of Christmas to life. But beyond their cute appearance, they taste amazing. The shells are crisp on the outside and chewy inside, while the sugar cookie buttercream gives that nostalgic holiday flavor I always crave. Plus, the royal icing decoration makes them stand out in any cookie spread. These are great for parties or when I want to impress my friends and family with something both fun and elegant.
Ingredients
(Here’s a tip: Check out the full list of ingredients and measurements in the recipe card below.)
Macaron Shells
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100 grams Domino® Golden Sugar
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4 grams egg white powder (optional)
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100 grams egg whites
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105 grams almond flour
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105 grams Domino® Powdered Sugar
Royal Icing
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1 1/2 cups Domino® Powdered Sugar (187 grams)
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1 tbsp meringue powder
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4 tbsp water
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2 drops black gel food coloring
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1 drop yellow gel food coloring
Sugar Cookie Buttercream
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1/2 cup all-purpose flour (63 grams)
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1/2 cup unsalted butter (113 grams)
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1/4 cup Domino® Golden Sugar (50 grams)
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1 1/4 cup Domino® Powdered Sugar (156 grams)
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1 tsp vanilla extract
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1/8 tsp almond extract
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1/2 tbsp milk or heavy cream
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1/4 cup desiccated coconut, shredded (50 grams)
Directions
Make the Macaron Shells
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I start by prepping my ingredients and lining baking sheets with silicone mats. I sift the almond flour and powdered sugar together and set them aside.
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I heat my oven to 300ºF about an hour before baking to stabilize the temperature. If I’m using a convection oven, I reduce the heat to 270ºF.
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I place a bowl over a pot of simmering water and whisk together the granulated sugar, egg white powder (if using), and egg whites until the sugar fully dissolves.
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Once smooth, I transfer the mixture to my stand mixer and whip it until stiff, glossy peaks form—this can take about 13–15 minutes.
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I gently fold in the sifted dry ingredients and red food coloring. I know the batter is ready when I can draw a figure 8 with the spatula without the batter breaking.
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I pipe the batter onto the mats and tap the trays to remove air bubbles. I let them rest until they form a skin—this is crucial for preventing cracks.
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I bake each tray for 15–20 minutes and allow the shells to cool completely before decorating.
Make the Royal Icing
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I combine powdered sugar, meringue powder, and water in a mixing bowl, then beat it until it becomes glossy and fluffy.
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I divide the icing into two bowls and color one black and the other yellow.
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I pipe a black belt across half the macaron shells and let it dry, then add a yellow buckle in the center.
Make the Sugar Cookie Buttercream
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First, I heat-treat the flour by baking it at 350ºF for about 5 minutes, then let it cool.
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I beat the butter and sugars until creamy, then add the flour, vanilla, almond extract, and milk or cream until smooth.
Assemble the Macarons
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I pipe buttercream onto the bottom shells and top them with the decorated shells.
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To finish, I roll the filled edges in shredded coconut to create Santa’s fur trim look.
Servings and timing
This recipe makes about 22 macarons.
Prep time: 2 hours
Cook time: 40 minutes
Total time: 1 hour 40 minutes
Variations
I like to change the filling flavor depending on the occasion. Sometimes I swap the sugar cookie buttercream with peppermint white chocolate ganache or a cinnamon-spiced cream for an extra festive touch. If I want to simplify the design, I skip the royal icing and just use red shells with coconut edges for a Santa-inspired look without the belt detail.
storage/reheating
These macarons store beautifully. I keep them in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 5 days. For longer storage, I freeze them in a single layer, then transfer to a sealed container—they stay fresh in the freezer for 1–2 months. When ready to serve, I let them come to room temperature for about 30 minutes.
FAQs
Do I really need to rest the macarons before baking?
Yes, I always rest the macarons until they form a skin. This step is essential when using lots of food coloring, as it helps prevent cracking in the oven.
Can I make the buttercream in advance?
Absolutely. I often make the buttercream a day ahead and store it in the fridge. I just let it sit at room temperature for 15–20 minutes and re-whip it before piping.
What’s the purpose of heat-treating the flour?
Heat-treating the flour makes it safe to eat in no-bake applications like buttercream. I never skip this step when using raw flour in frosting.
Can I use a different food coloring?
Yes, I use gel food coloring because it gives a deep color without thinning the batter. Liquid food coloring isn’t ideal since it can affect consistency.
How can I make these without meringue powder?
If I don’t have meringue powder, I sometimes use pasteurized egg whites to make a small batch of royal icing, though the stability might vary.
Conclusion
These Santa Claus Macarons are a joyful holiday treat that I always look forward to making. They bring together the precision of macaron baking with festive flair and a delicious sugar cookie filling. Whether I’m gifting them or enjoying them myself with a cup of cocoa, they never fail to spread holiday cheer.

Santa Claus Macarons
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- Author: Evee
- Total Time: 1 hour 40 minutes
- Yield: 22 macarons
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
Santa Claus Macarons are festive red macarons filled with sugar cookie buttercream and decorated with royal icing to resemble Santa’s belt. These whimsical treats are perfect for holiday gifting and dessert tables.
Ingredients
100 grams Domino® Golden Sugar
4 grams egg white powder (optional)
100 grams egg whites
105 grams almond flour
105 grams Domino® Powdered Sugar
Red gel food coloring
1 1/2 cups Domino® Powdered Sugar (187 grams)
1 tbsp meringue powder
4 tbsp water
2 drops black gel food coloring
1 drop yellow gel food coloring
1/2 cup all-purpose flour (63 grams)
1/2 cup unsalted butter (113 grams)
1/4 cup Domino® Golden Sugar (50 grams)
1 1/4 cup Domino® Powdered Sugar (156 grams)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/8 tsp almond extract
1/2 tbsp milk or heavy cream
1/4 cup desiccated coconut, shredded (50 grams)
Instructions
- Sift almond flour and powdered sugar together. Set aside. Line baking sheets with silicone mats.
- Preheat oven to 300ºF (or 270ºF for convection).
- Place granulated sugar, egg white powder, and egg whites in a bowl over simmering water. Whisk until sugar dissolves.
- Transfer to stand mixer and whip until stiff, glossy peaks form (about 13–15 minutes).
- Fold in dry ingredients and red food coloring until batter flows in ribbons and forms a figure 8.
- Pipe batter onto prepared mats. Tap trays to release air bubbles. Let rest until a skin forms.
- Bake for 15–20 minutes. Cool completely before decorating.
- For royal icing: Beat powdered sugar, meringue powder, and water until glossy. Divide and color one part black, the other yellow.
- Pipe a black belt on half the macaron shells. Let dry. Add a yellow buckle in the center.
- Heat-treat flour by baking at 350ºF for 5 minutes. Let cool.
- Beat butter and sugars until creamy. Add flour, vanilla, almond extract, and milk. Mix until smooth.
- Pipe buttercream onto the bottom shells. Top with decorated shells.
- Roll filled edges in shredded coconut for Santa’s fur trim effect.
Notes
You can swap the buttercream for peppermint ganache or cinnamon-spiced cream.
Skip royal icing for a simpler design using just red shells and coconut edges.
Gel food coloring is preferred to avoid thinning the batter.
Buttercream can be made ahead and re-whipped before use.
Resting the shells before baking is crucial to avoid cracking.
- Prep Time: 2 hours
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: French-American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 macaron
- Calories: 140
- Sugar: 18g
- Sodium: 10mg
- Fat: 6g
- Saturated Fat: 3.5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2.5g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 21g
- Fiber: 0g
- Protein: 2g
- Cholesterol: 15mg